Air-lift pumping mechanism



June 30, 1925.

c. B. OFFICER AIR LIFT PUMPING MECHANISM Filed May 19, 1923 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,544,100 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BRAND OFFICER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG NOR TO SULLIVAN MACHIN- ERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-LIFT PUMPING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. OFFICER,

-a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Air-Lift Pumping Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to air lift pumping mechanisms, and more particularly to automatic controlling means for such mechanisms.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved air lift mechanism. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved controlling means for air lift pumping mechanisms. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved automatic controlling means for air lift pumping mechanism adapted to regulate the operation of such a mechanism in accordance with the hydrostatic head in a chamber from which the liquid is being pumped. Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the. accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one form which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and diagrammatic in its nature of a pumping system embodying the illustrative form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail on a central vertical plane, showing the controlling mechanism per se. 1

In the form of my invention which I have shown in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustrating the same, there is provided a compressor 1- whichdischarges by way of a pipe 2 to a receiver 3, This receiver has a connection 4 under control of mechanism generally designated 5 with a down pipe 6 which leads to the foot piece 7 of an air lift pumping mechanism whose riser pipe is indicated by 8. The air lift pumping mechanism is adapted to raise liquid from any variety of chamber, but is herein shown as lifting liquid from a sump or well 10.

For the purpose of controlling the supply of air'to the foot piece 7 so that the liquid shall not stand too high in the chamber 10, the automatic mechanism 5 is employed. This mechanism comprises a cham- 1923. Serial No. 640,027.

ber forming casing 11 which is divided into two parts by a partition 12, the partition having herein cast as a part thereof a valve chamber 13. The partition divides the interior of the casing 11 into two parts, the part l tcommunicating with the receiver by way of the pipe line 4 and the part 15 communicating with the down pipe 6.

valve 16 is reciprocable in the chamber 13 and is herein shown as having a conical lower extremity 17 adapted to cooperate with a conical seat 18 for the purpose of closing communication between the chambers 14 and 15. It will be observed that the valve casing 13 is perforated in the portion of its wall which projects into the space 15 by a series of openings 20, 21 and 22, although more or less of these may be employed, as may be desirable under the operating conditions encountered. It will further be noted that the valve is traversed by a right angle bleeder passage 23 so arranged that when the valve is closed air may find its way in very small quantities through the passage 23 to the down pipe 6. For the purpose of controlling the movements of the valve 16 I have provided mechanism generally indicated at 25 and which is connected with the valve chamber 16 by a stem 26. Cooperating with this stem is a weighted lever 27, the weight 28 of which is adjustable to vary its influence upon the valve. Above the weighted lever 27 is a cylinder 29 supported upon suitable supportingmeans 30 and in the cylinder a piston 31 is reciprocable. The piston is connected to the rod 26 and moves up and down with the rod, being normally held in bottom position, i. e., with the valve closed, by action of the weight 28 and'by a spring 32 whose pressure is variable by means of an adjustable follower 33. A connection 34 extends between the space below the piston 31 in the cylinder 29 and the pipe 6 beyond the casing 11. A bypass 35 controlled by a valve 36'is arranged so as to permit air to pass around the automatic controlling means if desired, this being usableif the automatic means gets out of order, for example.

From the foregoing description the mode of operation of this mechanism will be, it

is thought, readily apparent. It-will beobserved that by reason of the action of the dual loading means for the valve 16 a certain pressure must exist in the line 6. before the position of the valve 16 by reason .valveiwill be unseated and that relatively.

small variations in the pressure in the line 6 will make fairly substantial changes in the o the fact that the compression of the relatively light spring 32 will be the only additional work necessar in .the upward movement of the valve.

the pressure in the pipe 6 is substantially that of the pressure in the foot piece 7, mak- 'in allowances for some reduction due to friction in the ipe line, etc. it will be noted that when the iquid level in the chamber 10 varies, the pressure in the pipeline 6 will vary. This fact is made use of to effect the automatic control referred to. Assume that ,the liquid level is so low, that the valve 16 is closed; the conditions will then be that a small quantity of air is passing through the passage 23 and down the line 6 and bubbling up through the riser pipe 8 but at such a rate as to produce no pumping. Now assume that the liquid level rises in the chamber 10. The will result in the pressure building up slightly in the line 6 and if the liquid level rises sufliciently the pressure will rise to a suflicient degree so that the pressure passing through the port 34 will raise the piston 31 and so the valve 16, and pumping will begin. Still bearing in mind that the pressure in the line 6 will closely follow that in the foot piece 7 and that the latter will vary with the hydrostatichead, it will be evident that, if the level continues to rise in the well due to considerable liquid being supplied thereto, the pressure transmitted through the pipe line 24 will increase and the valve 16 will open wider, thereby opening additional ports 21 and 22. It will be obvious that if the inflow to the chamber, 10 falls off, the liquid level will be reduced and so the valve will progressively move toward closed position and finally close if the level is sufliciently reduced. It will thus be clear that I have rovided means for automatically control ing the operation of the pumping mechanism. One useful result of the provision of the bleeder 23 is that the level in the well or sump 10 cannot rise excessively due to leakage m the pipe 6 preventing rise in pressure below the iston 31. g

While I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its to said foot piece for varying the communi-. cation between them in proportion to the variations in the hydrostatic head against which pumping fluid is discharged, said connecting means being adapted to allow a flow of fluid which isjnsuflicient to pump a normal flow .of fluid under any head thereof ow bearing in mind the fact thati -iiuring the existence of normal pumping pressure.

2. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift pumping mechanism which comprises a source of pumping fluid and a pum ing mechanism'operated thereby, a contro ling valve, and means for loading said valve including a fixed load tending to close said valve to thereby substantially limit fluid flow to said pumping mechanism and a load which increases upon movement of the valve.

. 3. In a controlling mechanismfor an air lift pumping mechanism which comprises a source of pumping fluid and a pum ing mechanism operated thereby, a contro ling valve, and means for loading said valve including a fixed load tending to close said valve to thereby substantially limit fluid flow to said pumping mechanism and a load which increases upon movement of the valve, saidlast mentioned means including means for varying said second mentioned load.

4. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift pumping mechanism which comprises a source of pumping fluid and a pum ing mechanism operated thereby, a contro ing valve always under the influence of fluid flowing to said pum ing mechanism for allowing a minimum ow of fluid thereto insufficient to pumpfluid at a normal rate during normal pressure at said source, and means for loading said valve including a fixed load and a load which increases upon movement of the valve, said last mentioned means including means for changing said first mentioned load.

5. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift pumping mechanism which comprises a source of pumping fluid and a pum ing mechanism operated thereby, a contro ling valve, and means for loading said valve including a fixed load and a load which increases upon movement of the valve, said last mentioned means including means for varying independently both of said loads.

6. In a controlling mechanism for an air hft pumping system comprising a source of fluid pressure and a foot piece supplied thereby, a valve mechanism always in communication with the actuating fluid flowing to said foot piece, and means whereb said valve mechanism automatically contro said supply in accordance with variations in head agalnst which said foot piece dischar comprising a valve casing having a plurahty of perforations and'a va ve movable to vary the number of open perforations, said valve mechanism being adapted'to allow a flow of fluid which is insuflicient to pump a normal flow of fluid under any head thereof during the existence of normal pumping pressure.

7. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift pumping system comprising a source of fluid pressure and a foot piece supplied thereby, a valve mechanism for automatically controlling said supply in accordance with variations in head against which said foot piece discharges comprising a valve zasing having a plurality of perforations and a valve movable to vary the number of open perforations, said valve mechanism always being in communication with the actuating fluid flowing to said foot piece and comprising means for permitting a constant fluid supply in excess of a predetermined minimum to said foot piece and adapted to allow a flow of fluid which is insuflicient to pump a normal flow of fluid under any head thereof during the existence of normal pumping pressure.

8. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift'pumping system comprising a source of fluid thereby, a valve mechanism for automatical- 1y controlling said supply in accordance with variations in head against which said foot piece discharges comprising a valve casing having a plurality of perforations and a for connecting the same,

pressure and a foot piece supplied.

valve movable to vary the number of open perforations, said valve being traversed by a leak port so disposed as to open communication between the source of fluid pressure and the foot piece when said valve is closed.

9. In a controlling mechanism for an air lift pumping system comprising a source of fluid pressure and a foot piece supplied thereby, a valve mechanism for automatically controlling said supply in accordance with variations in head against which said foot piece discharges comprising a controlling valve and actuatin eluding a member sub ected to a pressure which increases equally with the hydrostatic head of the liquid surrounding the foot piece, and a bypass around said valve mechanism to allow a full flow of fluid from said source to said foot piece.

10. In an air lift pumping mechanism, a source of pressure fluid, a foot piece, means means for controlling fluid flow to said foot piece automaticall responsive to variations in the head of the liquid pumped, and a manually controlled bypass around said valve mechanism adapted to allow a full flow of actuating fluid to said foot piece.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES BRAND OFFICER.

means therefor inv 

